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My sisters are…

Sunday, July 31, 2011

My sisters are…

So you want to know about my sisters, eh?

I have two sisters by birth—Kristin and Margaret. Thirty years I have known them now, and I still struggle to write about them. The truth is it’s hard to find words to tell you about my sisters and how much I love them. They are both immensely unique, with strengths and skills and passions that are unequaled in other women. And they both, being vastly different from each other, bring out a particular aspect of my character that the other can’t.

Kristin once made me flip my hair over my face (it was long!) and put sunglasses on. She did the same, and we took a photo. It was a random thing, but it meant so much to me. It said to me that my eldest sister wasn’t so old that she couldn’t have fun with her baby sister. And that is what I most feel about Kristin—we can be silly together and have a good belly-laugh about life’s weirdnesses (like Furrrrnahndo!). Sometimes I think Kristin hides her depth with superficial and silly things, but don’t let it fool you—Kristin has a lot to say. We just have to get her to say it.

Margaret is closer to me in age. We shared a bedroom for several years when we were young. Whenever I had a friend spend the night, Maggie would rearrange our bedroom into an Obstacle Course. We didn’t have a lot to entertain us back then, but Maggie always made it different than the last time. That is Maggie—always doing whatever she can to help, always blessing someone, always constant by your side. She goes without thanks most of the time, I think, but that makes her all the more incredible—not many people would be so generous and giving with such little commendation.

But there are more sisters these days. I now have my two birth sisters, as well as three sisters by marriage.

Erin (aka: Huggamackadillapee) is Joel’s wife of three years. She is artistic and always looking for new methods of creating. I enjoy bouncing ideas around with her and getting her feedback on the crafts I’m doing. She is a new (one year) mom, a college graduate, a volleyball guru, and a great wife for my brother. P.S. Erin: I’m trying the childrens’ book board at your suggestion! I think it might just work!

Sara (no H) is Jesse’s wife of almost-three years. When I think of Sara, I think of a real classy gal. She is smart, funny, and incredibly strong. She has been facing some huge battles in the years I’ve known her, and yet—she always has a smile on her face. She is ambitious, and I know she’ll succeed at whatever she pursues in life. But…she spells her name wrong (don’t tell her I said so; she’s a little bit sensitive about it. Hey—new game; let’s all send Sara an H for Christmas this year!).

Erin (the second, but elder, Erin) is Steven’s wife of almost a year. I confess that I don’t know Erin as well as I’d like, but what I know of her, I really love. I was blessed to be a bit of a go-between for her prior to the wedding last year. It allowed me to see what a classy, stylish, and easy-going woman she is. She is also incredibly generous and easy to talk with. Could a better thing have happened to my brother? To our family? I don’t think so.

A prompt about my sisters wouldn’t be complete without mentioning one more sister—my Vault Sister, Jennifer. I have known Jenn for more than a decade now. We met at college and have been close ever since. She knows all of those weird, quirky things about me that I try to hide from the rest of the world (like the box of letters, the dreams, the words, the songs). She has been so good to me and for me, encouraging me and spurring me on toward my goals, and always believing in me—even (or especially) when I don’t believe in myself.

Having women in the family is such a great gift. Each sister is her own person, with strengths and personalities that not only define her, but also help to shape those around her. They are the glue that holds a family together, and in our case—we have a lot of glue. I pray that each one of my sisters (birth, marriage, and vault) will know just how valuable and irreplaceable she is to me and to our family, and that she will see the fruit of her hard work more and more as she grows.